Tag Archives: medication-assistance

Posted onAugust 28, 2017|Comments Off on Achieving Stability in the Recovery Process

Opioid addiction is one of the more challenging substance use disorders to confront and manage because of its physical dependency characteristics. Once the process of physical addiction has taken hold, avoiding daily withdrawal becomes a high hurdle.

Because of this daily dilemma, it becomes difficult to remain focused on other aspects of recovery. It’s the law of “first things first” that applies when tackling any problem. There is a natural order and sequence which must be followed when trying to solve a complex task. Opioid addiction recovery is no exception.

Obtaining relief from opioid withdrawal symptoms is a very important first step in addressing opioid addiction. This is why medication-assisted treatment is specifically identified as a medical best practice. Science and years of exhaustive research have proven (not just suggested) that treatment coupled with medication-assistance offers the greatest probability of long-term success when trying to overcome moderate to severe opioid addiction.

Fortunately, more people are becoming aware of the need for buprenorphine, methadone, and other medications that can play a vital role in stabilizing an opioid addicted individual at the onset of their personal recovery.

Historically, efforts to come off of opioids in a detox setting have been often unsuccessful because many detoxes used insufficient medications to alleviate withdrawal symptoms. Consequently, patients would typically begin to get sick in 1-2 days with their withdrawal symptoms becoming intolerable. This can lead to patients abandoning the detox effort and a quick return to illicit opiates.

However, the tide is turning. As the American opioid crisis continues to impact families and U.S. society, many more physicians, lawmakers, and government representatives are gaining a quick education on the enormous value of medication-assisted treatment. Methadone is at the forefront of this new awareness as is buprenorphine-based products like Suboxone.

Appropriate medications used responsibly and under a doctor’s supervision provide stability, hope, and opportunity.

A study by the government agency SAMHSA indicated there were approximately 254,000 patients receiving methadone for opioid addiction in 2006. In 2015, it is most likely that number is much higher given the prevalence of opioid addiction and the continued expansion of outpatient opioid treatment services in the United States. Today, there are considerably more methadone clinics and suboxone-approved physicians than there were a decade ago.

Making a new start with medication-assisted treatment is what hundreds of people across the country are deciding to do for themselves every week. Addiction is a progressive illness – one in which a person’s ability to choose is severely compromised. Medication-assisted treatment using either methadone or buprenorphine (suboxone) provides an important open door to a more responsible, quality life.

A majority of individuals suffering with opioid addiction (particularly when the illness spans years) have experienced dramatic brain changes which deepened their physiological dependency on opiates. This physical dependency is not easily removed. It is severe and persistent thus leading the person to do whatever is necessary to avoid being sick from opioid withdrawal.

Most long-term addicted individuals will tell you they rarely, if ever, get high from the illicit substances they use. They are simply trying to avoid being sick from debilitating opioid withdrawal symptoms. When a patient chooses to receive methadone or buprenorphine under the supervision of a doctor, they are making a decision to face their illness and to do something constructive about it.

As a family or friend, it is very helpful to gain an understanding of addiction and how medication-assisted treatment can be life changing for a person stuck in the cycle of opiate addiction.

Making a new start can be a bit frightening. Will methadone work for me? Will my loved ones condemn me? What about my job, or my legal situation? It becomes easy to put off making a decision when so many questions come into play.

It is important to remember that the road to recovery begins with just one step forward. That step will lead to another and another. This new start is always available. The message is one of hope and opportunity. Opiate addiction is a treatable illness. Medication-assistance can make a real difference.

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Sublocade is a newly released medication alternative for treating opioid addiction. It is a product of Indivior, the pharmaceutical company responsible for Suboxone. Sublocade is a once monthly injection of time-released buprenorphine typically provided to patients who have been receiving buprenorphine for at least (7) days and who are stable on their medication. The injection […]

In 2017, Ohio increased its number of buprenorphine-approved prescribers by 266. This was the result of a $2.3 million dollar Federal grant that provided state-wide training to doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants as reported by Cleveland.com. Historically, Ohio had numerous communities that were underserved with 19 counties having no buprenorphine providers at the beginning […]

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Methadone.US is an information center on methadone treatment, methadone clinics, and general opioid replacement therapies. This site profiles solutions for those suffering with opiate abuse or dependency, and aims to educate the public on the value of medication-assisted treatment. Buprenorphine.US is a companion site that features thousands of local physicians approved to write prescriptions for buprenorphine and popular drugs containing buprenorphine such as Suboxone.

The contents of Methadone.US are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to substitute for professional or medical evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, or advice. Users of this site are encouraged to contact your professional healthcare provider for medical assistance regarding addictive disorders, general health problems, mental health problems, and any & all health-related questions. Any information you find here or on other websites linked to from Methadone.US should be verified with your professional healthcare provider. Users who are experiencing a medical emergency should call your doctor or 911 immediately. Methadone.US is not affiliated with the pharmaceutical company Reckitt-Benckiser (the manufacturer of Suboxone).

Methadone.US does not guarantee the accuracy of information contained on this site or on sites linked to from this site. Reliance on any information appearing here is solely at your own risk. The users of this site shall indemnify and hold Methadone.US, its parent company, employees, agents, and sponsors harmless from and against any and all damages, liabilities, losses, costs, and expenses, including reasonable attorney’s fees, arising out of or related to use of information, services, or products mentioned at this website. Methadone.US makes no guarantee, whatsoever, regarding clinics or advertisers listed on this site, and bears no responsibility whatsoever for information, claims, or results associated with methadone clinics, advertisers, or other service providers listed on this site. All users are encouraged to perform their own independent examination & review of any website or service listed on Methadone.US.